Senate actions today: Round 1 to the Dems.

[TayTay]

Democrat Objections To Send Budget Bill Back To US House

By John Godfrey

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Senate Democrats succeeded Wednesday in temporarily
derailing a $39.7 billion budget bill Republicans had hoped to complete action
on this week.

The measure may still pass the Senate Wednesday, but because Democrats were
able to force Republicans to make small technical changes to the bill, it must
now head back to the House for a vote before it can be taken to the White House
for President George W. Bush's expected signature.

Specifically, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., objected
to a provision that would have exempted hospitals from medical liability for
denying treatment to low-income people unable to pay. The provision would have
no impact on the federal budget and, therefore, technically should not be part
of the budget bill.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H., sad the exemption was
narrowly crafted, and that Democrats were objecting solely as a delaying tactic.
Gregg also warned that some of the spending increases proposed elsewhere in the
bill will now be postponed until the House can vote.

Fifty-two senators voted to ignore the liability provision and other small
errors in the bill, but Republicans needed 60 of 100 votes to overcome
Democratic objections.

[globalvillage]

1. OMG, I just noticed the evil Darth Cheney.

Thought I felt a chill.
OK, gone now. That was scary.

[TayTay]

2. Yup, the Dark Lord just swooped in and screwed the people

It was a chilling moment.

Senate approved deficit cuts; new House vote needed.
By ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press Writer

Date: December 21, 2005

WASHINGTON_The Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation to cut federal
deficits by $39.7 billion on Wednesday by the narrowest of margins, 51-50, with
Vice President Dick Cheney casting the deciding vote.

The measure, the product of a year’s labors by the White House and the GOP in
Congress, imposes the first restraints in nearly a decade in federal benefit programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and student loans.

“This is the one vote you’ll have this year to reduce the rate of growth of the
federal government,” said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., chairman of the Senate Budget
Committee, in a final plea for passage.

But Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada countered that the GOP was
advancing “an ideologically driven, extreme, radical budget. It caters to
lobbyists and an elite group of ultraconservative ideologues here in Washington,
all at the expense of middle class Americans,” he said.


*************************

Maybe he threatened some people with the Death Star. (Rise my young apprentices. Go forth and spread the evil Rethug philosophy of balancing the budget on the backs of the poor. Hehehehehe!)

[globalvillage]

3. Merry Christmas, Mom.

Hope you like that big freaking box of "I told you so".
Sunday is going to be more like the Fourth of July than Christmas. I can hardly wait.

[TayTay]

4. More info: What is now lost.

Article talks about The Dark Lord coming back in order to screw the poor:

He wasn’t the only one who made an unexpected trip back to Washington. Sen.
Chris Dodd, D-Conn., flew back on Tuesday night. He has been recuperating at
home from knee replacement surgery, and he made his way into the Senate with the
aid of a walker.

By themselves, the deficit cuts included in the five-year bill would amount to
only 2.5 percent of projected shortfalls totaling $1.6 trillion over the same
time frame. Republicans said the significance lies in more than mere numbers,
adding that programs such as Medicare and Medicaid threaten to consume an
unsustainable amount of federal revenue if their growth is not trimmed quickly.
Home health care payments under Medicare would be frozen at current levels for a
year under the bill, Medicaid regulations would be changed to make it harder for
the elderly to qualify for federal nursing home benefits by turning assets over to their children.

Lender subsidies are reduced as part of an attempt to squeeze $12.6 billion from
student loan programs. Another provision raises $3.6 billion for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the federal agency that protects certain pension plans.

The money would come from an increase in the premium employers pay for each
covered worker or retiree, and from a fee on companies that end their pension plans.
Billions more would come from programs unrelated to benefit programs. The legislation assumes $10 billion in federal receipts from the sale of part of the analog spectrum, for example.

But you know, we still have $70 Billion in tax cuts for the rich. Thank goodness that the REthugs are true to their values. Bastids.

[globalvillage]

7. Thank you.

I was looking for just the right words to put in her card.

Republicans said ... programs such as Medicare and Medicaid threaten to consume an unsustainable amount of federal revenue if their growth is not trimmed quickly.

And a Happy New Year.

[globalvillage]

5. Stevens is wearing that hideous tie.

When is someone going to propose legislation banning ridiculous neck wear in the Senate? The Dems should all show up in polyester leisure suits as a protest until he retires that ugly thing.

[TayTay]

6. Except for one guy from MA

I couldn't handle that. I just couldn't. (OMG! That would be a crime against nature, mostly.) Everyone else can do that. Ted Stevens looks like he walked out of an explosion in the polyester factory already. (But not Our John. Dear Lord woman, think of the children.)

[karynnj]

8. Tay Tay, he if any of the Senators could, could

make them look merely unflattering. He even looked ok in the windsurfing clothes. Did he ever wear polester when it was in fashion? (More than the children - think of what Teresa and his daughters would think)

[TayTay]

11. Noooooooooo!

I can't even come up with the mental 'clean and jerk' required to get this image. Nooooooo! (I'm having a bad week. Mercy!) Never, no way, un-unh. (OMG! What are you saying? I am resisting this image. I will not even think it. OMG!) It's like thinking of Johnny Damon in pinstripes and with a haircut. Arrrrgggghhh!

Dear Lord no.

[globalvillage]

12. Oh, come on, now.

You mean to tell me this guy lived through the 70s and never owned a leisure suit? Bet it still fits. I'm going to find a picture.

[TayTay]

16. No, Navy dress whites and then real suits.

Ewwhhhh! There were people at the time who knew leisure suits were a communist plot to make America look ridiculous in the eyes of the world. They just knew. (Mercy!)

EDIT: Methinks it time to take a break and go out and get the Esquire magazine. Sounds like just the tonic I need. Then I will be merely crabby again, instead of having an outright hissy fit that renders me unfit to be around. Sigh! This too shall pass.

[karynnj]

15. Sorry - and you still feel sick

I appologize - even if I do think he could pull any thing off and still look ok.

[globalvillage]

17. He EVEN looked ok in the windsurfing clothes?

It don't get no hotter than this.





Now that I would allow on the Senate floor.

[karynnj]

20. HE looked GREAT in the windsurfing clothes,

but picture the rest of the Senate so dressed - or maybe not. (esp the President of the Senate - that might cause small children and most grownups nightmares for weeks.)

My point was - if he could look even ok in those clothes, he will be one of the few whose posture, bearing and grace could likely pull off wearing a leisure suit. Did he really have the sense to avoid them through the 70s? - I'm impressed if he did.

[globalvillage]

24. Sen Kerry on Cspan 2 NOW!!!

[TayTay]

25. Yeah!

ANWR drilling is wrong, wrong, wrong. Plus, the REthugs are changing the rules cuz they think they are all powerful. They just stink.

A Gut check, oooooooh! I love it when he is noble and stuff.

[ProSense]

27. I caught the end of that. He looked pissed! n/t

[Luftmensch067]

29. Oops, just saw this!

Sorry I duped!!!!

[globalvillage]

28. Oh, man.

That would be very, very ugly. Both sides have certain senators who could not do the windsurfing attire.
Oh, now I have to watch this and pick them out.
God, this is going to be either really funny or totally barfmaking.

I think it was a recruiting slogan back then. Join the military, wear cotton.
Every guy I knew had a leisure suit. And even the cute ones looked dorky.

[karynnj]

30. In 71, when he debated O'Neil he wore an elegant , expensive- looking suit

So maybe he never did wear polyester. (O'Neil on the other hand wore badly fitting polyester - no wonder he still bares a grudge.)

[ProSense]

26. Well, this post stopped me in my tracks.

Thanks for the eye candy!

[globalvillage]

10. Exemption.

Granted.

LOL. You are correct, as usual.

[TayTay]

14. You are a good woman.

Thanks! Whew! Now, on to saving ANWR and the Rules of the Senate. (And the sartorial splendor of certain Senators. Whew! I can't deal with the Transit Strike, the loss of Johnny Damon, the passage of the alleged 'Deficit Reduction Bill,' the Dark Lord Cheney and, gulp, polyester on people who should never touch polyester in one morning. Not to mention the fact that I am only half done on my Christmas shopping. Mental wackiness will surely ensue.)

Mercy!

[globalvillage]

18. Thanks. I really am listening.

It's just that that tie is so distracting.
I will pay attention now in case there's a test.

[TayTay]

9. Domenici is an idiot

We should be able to drill in ANWR because it's winter and it's not mushy up there in the winter. Those softie who went up there in the Spring saw mushy ground and stuff. But now, it's all frozen and stuff. Besides the wells only look like little outhouses. Why not let them in. (That outhouse metaphor is perfect for all of Rethuglia and their plans for America. This won't hurt a bit America, and you can keep the outhouses. Sigh!)

[karynnj]

13. Some Democrat should use photoshop

to take breath takingly beautiful photos of the refuge and super impose "outhouses". I can't imagine it will change the pristine appearance. Maybe we should ask if we can do the same in the area that can be viewed from Cheney's Wy house.

[TayTay]

19. The Senator from NH is a friggin bastid

I just can't stand Judd Gregg. He's not a frickin idiot, he's actually quite smart. It's just that he's such a Rethug wacko. Honestly. Everytime he speaks, somebody poor gets swacked.

[globalvillage]

23. Nice tie, though.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
OK, I'll stop. I have to get to the post office now, anyway.
I'm just laughing to keep from crying, you know. I really am worried about my mom (and everyone else who is getting screwed).
She will suffer for her poor judgement, and I don't think I can even talk to her about how she did this to herself. It's just too painful.
So, in the spirit of the season, I'll just let it go.

[sandnsea]

21. Excuse me, raises hand

Exempts hospitals from liability if they don't treat poor people???

WTF?? What provision is this? Who put it in? When? Anybody know?

Good lord. Are we going to have parents holding their dying children and refused treatment again?

[TayTay]

22. Welcome to Rethug heaven.

Where, 'It's not my friggin problem now is it,' is the mantra of choice for everything. They don't care. If poor people needed medical care, then they shouold have thought of that before they got sick and saved up for it. Otherwise, shut up and let us get back to the important business of giving more tax cuts to the rich. Sigh!